if house republicans didn't propose cuts to fda funding. i think there's a lesson to be learned from these romney tales. don't read them before you go to bed. and if the wrong people get in to office, my fairy tales may end up your reality show. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. romney versus romney. let's play "hardball." goovk good evening. i'm chris matthews. let me start with this. revelati revelation. the romney crowd has let slip the biggest fact of the campaign. the former massachusetts governor is not just proud of the health care plan he ran through up there, he wishes people like that fella if had

the new obama ad whose wife died of cancer and everyone outside of massachusetts could benefit from a program. he wants people know matter where they live in this country to have a state-driven health care plan. it's a rarity in modern politics. what we expected to be true and now for the first time to be true, a candidate openly confessed romney long saw his health care plan as a model for the country. now his campaign spokesperson is trumpeting that fact. wait a minute, isn't he the one saying he'll kill the health care plan if he gets elected? we see the guy who promises one thing, believes another, and is now embarrassed by the ridiculous bad news in the contradiction here. joining me now is bob slump and john heilemann.

we see here been talking about it since yesterday. the ad's narrated by a man whose wife died of cancer. his wife died years later. let's listen to this ad. >> then one day she became ill and i took her up to the jackson county hospital. and admitted her for pneumonia. that's when they found the cancer. by then it was stage four. there was nothing they could do for her. and she passed away in 22 days. i do not think mitt romney has realized what he's done for anyone. and furthermore, i do not think mitt romney is concerned. >> well, here's how romney spokesperson -- his top spokesperson responded to that harsh ad today. let's watch closely what she says. >> to that point, you know, if -- you know, if people had been in massachusetts under governor romney's health care plan, they would have had health care. there are a lot of people losing jobs and losing their health

care in president obama's economy. >> if that man and his wife had lived in massachusetts instead of indiana, they would benefit from a health care plan. this is a ridiculous declaration. bob shrum, isn't this guy running against health care trying to deny his own past with health care that you were involved with fighting him on and now his spokesman is saying let's not forget, he had health care -- the same health care plan he wanted the whole country to model itself after. here we go, bob shrum. >> he doesn't have any strategy or particular vision. they wanted this to be a one dimensional referendum. if you're unhappy with the economy, give me a try. you're going to get all sorts of things like this. they're not ready. they had 18 years to get ready for the bain attacks. they could have straightened out his taxes, closed the swiss bank accounts, they didn't do it. >> let's stick to this. don't go over the list of his

problems. we've got the most severe problem of his campaign. he is running as the former moderate governor of massachusetts. now pretending to be a right winger. trust me when i say i'm going to take away obama care. now his spokesperson is saying whoa, here. our greatest achievement is health care. we did the very model. they're falling back on where they were five years ago. it seems to me they've got a real problem here. jack said he felt sorry for dick nixon because he didn't know which day he'd be. >> that's what i'm saying. today they endorsed in essence the idea of the affordable care act. they've done it because they're in a lot of trouble. they've lost the long, hot summer. they ended up in a situation where romney's upside down on

his favorable, unfavorable. the bain ads are hurting him. they come up with this. it was stupid. >> you're well said. that's so well. john heilemann, it's a case of trying to be tricky and clever and stepping into the very admission by making the admission they really love health care if you can have it. and this poor woman died of cancer because she didn't have health care. it's an amazing admission by a top spokesperson. >> chris, a lot of people have pointed out from the beginning when mitt romney ran for the republican nomination that this health care issue was going to be a killer for him and difficult to deal with. there were a lot of people on the right who said anticipating this problem who said you need to repudiate your massachusetts plan. you need to stand up and say i got it wrong. i'm not for it. and at least that would have been shown a certain -- created certain problems, it would have given him the position to attack the president's health care plan. now he's stuck where because he didn't want to repudiate the

plan, this thing that is incoherent which is i think the plan -- i think my plan was great. it was great for massachusetts. it wouldn't be great for the country though. although as you pointed out he has said that on some occasions in the past. now he's in this position saying what they actually believe. he's proud of the plan. this is committing a classic definition of a gaffe. he believes in massachusetts, in romney care. the problem are the contortions he's had to go through to get right with the right. this thing is going to come back to kill him in the debates. you know president obama is going to say -- he's going to cite this instance when it comes up in the first presidential debate and romney's not going to have a very good answer that i can possibly conceive of. >> many conservatives said they felt betrayed today. eric erickson tweets that omg, this might just be the moment

mitt romney lost the election on this very comment today by a spokesperson. he says wow. and rush limbaugh had this to say on his radio show. >> i don't know the people at the romney campaign, but i'm going to tell you. your candidate is accused of killing a woman. because -- that's -- this isn't about health insurance. they're out there saying that your guy killed this woman. and your answer is? well, she'd have had health insurance if she lived in massachusetts? >> there you go. it's unbelievable. there he is saying if she lived in massachusetts. he's reminding us all that we should all have health care in the country like massachusetts. what obama did. there's no issue in the debate now. if you listened to andrea today, they have no debate. >> here's what they're going to say. they're going to say well this

isn't a federal issue. each state should decide. but the logic of what andrea sall said today was everybody, this poor man who lost his job and lost health benefits they should have lived in a state like massachusetts. they should have lived in a country like america which now under the affordable care act does what andrea was praising and what john says correctly, mitt romney believes in. you know who stood with mitt romney and worked on that bill in massachusetts and stood there proudly? ted kennedy. that has conservatives furious. >> you got rush limbaugh out there jumping up and down like he does like the underwater walrus of him. and then you've got people like red state eric erickson who speaks for a lot of people on the right. how can they now attack obama care knowing as recently as today their candidate who they thought they could trust to stick it to obama is out there

selling romney care? the same thing. >> look, i've always thought it was going to be difficult to make this work. the argument is -- there are issues on which federalism is a justifiable issue. but in this case, if your argument is that an individual mandate institutes european style socialism, you can't say that a european site -- that it's good in one state and bad in another state. either you're for european style socialism or you're for it. if you have it in massachusetts you think it's a good thing. i think it's an intellectually unsustainable position. for a little while it looks like a politically -- but it's intellectually crazy. and this shows how difficult it's going to be to ever be able to make this argument in a coherent way going forward. >> she wasn't the only that eluded to the plan today. mitt romney himself brought it

up. he suggested it qualified him to tackle and deal with obama's law. let's watch it. >> that doesn't mean health care is perfect. we've got to do some reforms in health care. i have some experience doing that, as you know. >> there you go again. i just don't know how he can keep doing this. it is getting so confusing. and back to you, john. this campaign issue. let's take a look at the washington examiner. phillip kline, let's hear what he had to say about this. he says it gets to an deeper problem with romney's campaign. quote, i do think it's an example of a broader problem. romney consistently attempts to make up with tactics what he lacks in vision. that's what you said, bob. romney's campaign isn't driven by a core ideology. but by responding to news cycles. if romney thinks touting his past support for government-run health care today can help defend baseless attacks on his career, he'll tout away.

in the case against government-run health care he'll make tomorrow. that's the point you made. he doesn't have a plan to say where he stands. and i can see him losing by a point or two or winning. and then saying i believe what i did in massachusetts. what he says is no guide to what are m romney believes. >> that's certainly true. although if he wins this election, he would be as grover norquist, a pen who would have to sign the things by the republicans in congress. he wouldn't risk as we've seen him in the cynicism of this 2012 campaign. he wouldn't risk by going against it. the real problem here aside from the lack of strategy, the real problem is when you run as someone you're not, it's hard to keep straight who you're supposed to be. and every once in awhile, the real you comes out. in this case he probably said the right thing or merits but

wrong politically. >> be consistent. just keep telling the truth. john, last thought. >> i go a bit further. it's obviously true they have a tactical campaign and that's gotten them in trouble on a lot of areas. these aren't even good tactics. this is a tactical error. you would think at a minimum you'd have the tactics here. but this is just kind of -- this is like campaign 101. to make this kind of an unforced error this late in the campaign when there's not as much pressure as in september and october, i think it bodes badly for them what the fall holds. >> it's only the evening of the day it happened. so don't deny the possibility that romney will take this spokesperson of his to the wood shed and blame it on her. reagan used to do that. thank you, bob shrum and john heilemann. coming up, ryan's hope. the latest buzz that paul ryan

does have a chance to be named mitt romney's number two. can he really pick a guy who wants to replace medicare with a voucher system and bumps the cost of health care to the retirees? that's going to sell. also the hostile tea party takeover. the gop gained more last night. now the senate may be about to fall to them. republican party is going through a met mamorphosi moamor telelight. and you don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger. and you don't mess around with bill. bill clinton, that is. the romney campaign's dishonest ad about welfare reform has stirred the big dog into action just weeks before the democratic convention. i love it. i love that bill's coming into this thing. and is mitt romney trying to take the words out of this guy's mouth so he could do a better job of pandering to him? look at this. the answer in the sideshow. this is "hardball," the place for politics.

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new poll numbers from some key battle ground states. let's go to the "hardball" score board. obama has a four-point lead in virginia. pst obama 49, romney 45. next to wisconsin where the poll finds obama up by six. also good news, that's paul ryan's state. 51-45. now finally to colorado. bad news here where it's romney up with a five-point lead in the state. i think the obama people have been counting on this state. we'll be back. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is theonlyd to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity.

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♪ i think they really did that to that woman. they threw her off the cliff. welcome back to "hardball." those few seconds from that single ad unfair as it may seem

to some sum up the poll of mitt romney. into a means tested voucher system for beneficiaries. there's been a lot of buzz romney may go for ryan as his running mate. as that ad suggests, the young dynamic congressman comes with a big, red warning label as well. mark halperin and chris lister are here. highly regarded msnbc political analysts. let me go to mark on this one. mark, it seems to me there's a big debate about whether the price has already been paid. that he's going to have to defend his earlier support for the ryan plan. he might as well have the face of ryan and thereby get the personal courage attached to a difficult case you have to make for cutting the benefit of medicare to older people. >> i don't think it's relevant who he will pick or should pick. he does have to have that fight. there are other problems with ryan in terms of whether he's

perceived as being president. whether he's got the executive experience. it's the case that the president's greatest sense of confidence in going after mitt romney in the fall. resolves around these changes. of spending. there's no doubt that's where the president is going to go after him. the democrats will have to make those arguments more. but i don't think that's relevant to the question of whether he will or should pick him. >> let's get to the subsequent question. i think we ought to get there eventually anyway. people like the idea of cutting government spending. i love the idea of fiscal spending. it comes down to some don't want cut. if you're working from delivering newspapers in your teens to retirement. you don't a young fit guy saying i'm in my 30s, you're in your 70s. you're going to get a voucher

which will be means tested. you got a few bucks in any bank, you're going to have less. we're going to squeeze you. lot of co-pay there. that to me is a killer for anybody who's retired. >> one, i think you're right. in that the idea that ryan plan and frankly any plan that's going to restore our fiscal health is based on we have to make tough ideas now for the future. second, and this is important i think as it relates to the political calculation here. what do we know about 65-plus-year-old voters? they are the single most reliability voting block. >> i'm not knocking it. when you get in your 80s, think about the young drive. you don't drive a car. you depend on the news on the it was. you hear this conversation, and you think i'm not taking any chances. >> that's the thing. it's the slippery slope argument

democrats will make. they're saying this now but what will they say in office? >> you know why they say that to the older people, every time the chance to cut coming up the republicans want to cut medicare. >> that's the danger of putting ryan on the -- one quick thing on older folks. in 2008 john mccain won them by four. in 2004 george bush won them by eight. obviously we know in you''04 bu won and in 2008. >> newt gingrich didn't even support paul ryan's plan, not even he. you can be sure this clip is in the obama campaign research troef. i want you to react to this. here he is, newt, pounding ryan. >> i don't think right wing social engineering is any more desirable than left wing social engineering. i don't think it is a good way

for a free society to -- there are ways to improve medicare. i think his is too big a jump. >> there's a guy who had to lead a caucus in the house. the price you pay every time you touch this baby. he lost members over this. the members have come back to him from visits home. mr. speaker, mr. leader, stay out of medicare. >> there's no question that if ryan were on the ticket, the democrats would almost certainly use that clip in a web video if not a real ad. and go hard after saying more than they otherwise could get away with and work in the dialogue that mitt romney and paul ryan will defend the budget. but i'll say again, that's what the president is going to go after mitt romney for anyway. if mitt romney can't defend his support for the ryan budget in the debate, he's going to have a hard time winning the election. and if he wants a mandate for governing, he has to win a thing. he's going to have to take on that fight.

i think picking ryan has other issues with it as we've said before. there's no doubt this gives democrats with the media and the public, not just older voters but to all voters who overwhelmingly oppose the ryan budget in a lot of ways including a lack of new revenue. >> let's put all this together. the latest news is romney may be on the ropes a bit because of the admission by his chief spokesperson. basically she speaking for him thinks that fella who lost his wife to cancer would be better off being in massachusetts where they have health care. you can't have a guy once like pawlenty and live with and go to somebody like ryan. >> i still think the answer is no. the reason is not because of mitt romney but because of barack obama. that is the right dislikes barack obama so much that it doesn't matter they're super sold -- >> are you watching out on the right? he doesn't care what you want. >> one other quick point --

>> i disagree with you. i think they're always suspicious he's a deep down elitist from the east. >> they're not going to vote for barack obama. >> you always know this, mark. is there anything developing or is the decision known? >> i think he has known for awhile where he's likely to go. i don't know of the status of who he's told and where it stands. but i am still keeping out there the notion that there may be a surprise pick. just in the body language. but whoever it is, i can guarantee you they will be -- again, some people like a paul ryan who i think people would say is he old enough, does he have the national security experience? i'm not sure he'll meet that bar instantly for enough americans for governor romney to live up to his promise. >> i think you have to be a governor to be a real executive.

keeping up with body language. how about body language, chris christie. that's body language. >> i think he's still very much in the mix. >> you didn't get my joke. you didn't want to get it. thank you very much. up next, what's the story of this bizarre picture we're seeing of mitt romney. does he have his hand in that other guy's mouth? i guess he's demonstrating something. this is "hardball," the place for politics. my cut hurt! mine hurt more! mine stopped hurting faster... [ fema announcer ] neosporin® plus pain relief

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that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. back to "hardball." now the sideshow. i told you yesterday about the predicting power of wikipedia edits when it comes to potential v.p.s. sarah palin's page was updated at least -- the day before mccain announced she would be the running mate. >> the number times the

wikipedia page has been edited predicts the chances for the v.p. shot. i like tim pawlenty. to up his chances, i'm going to wikipedia to pump up his edit count. let's see here. what am i doing? this is wikipedia. everything you type in here becomes reality. on august 10th, 2012, tim pawlenty was named mitt romney's running mate. get on wikipedia and edit any of these guy's pages to give them the edge. or maybe edit the page of a dark horse. like mitt romney's dark horse. >> wow. get this. perhaps thanks to colbert's trouble making with wikipedia, the website has locked the editing option for the pages of many of the contenders. the only people who can still make edits to those pams are wikipedia users who make changes

on a regular basis. early this week we got a glimpse of hillary clinton dancing with local farmers in malawi. another leg of her african tour brought her to johannesburg yesterday. ♪ >> what can i say? clinton will have visited seven african nations in all. finally, check out this foe o'of mitt romney in a factory yesterday. in photography perspective, it looks like that worker is biting his nails. a potential caption, whoa there you're trimming my fingernails with your teeth. that's okay. you're a hard working american. thanks, friend. it's possible romney might have

been saying that. up next, the tea party's hostile takeover of the republican party picked up steam last night. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. ay, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com.

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hey, there. here's what's happening. syrian troops and rebels alike are both claiming control over aleppo tonight. what is clear, buildings have been reduced to rubble. the university of colorado tells nbc it's hired an attorney for the psychiatrist who was accusing james holmes. a lawyer also secured for one campus police officer. mixed news on wall street. the s&p virtually unchanged. the nasdaq closed down four points. now back to "hardball."

welcome back to "hardball." did you need more evidence that the republican party of 2012 is a different party than it used to be? take a look at what happened last night in missouri. a tea party backed congressman todd akin took on the nomination to take on mccaskill. add him now to the candidates in the republican field. including richard mourdock who says bipartisanship ought to consist of democrats coming to the republican point of view. and texas tea partier ted cruz. in kansas last night, it was a tea party takeover as nine incumbent state senators, nine republican senators were ousted for the sin of working with democrats. and we've seen what the tea party has done to the u.s. house

last summer. and remember the debt ceiling disaster. now it looks like they're going for the senate. matt kibbe is author of "hostile takeover." matt, i think what's going on in your party and may be going on in some -- it'll take five, ten years the way it's going. there was a big change in the democratic party from a centrist to rural party in the 30s. it moderated later. a left party. the democratic party shifted again in the 1960s. from a segregationist party to a pro-civil rights party. is the republican party going through a metamorphosis like that moving to a populist party of the right? >> i think it is a rehabilitation that's being pushed from the bottom up. >> rehabilitation? >> rehabilitation.

>> going back to what? >> going back to the rhetoric they've run on. fiscal responsibility moving power and money out of washington and making sure individuals -- >> moving money to the koch brothers. >> no. >> the money's all coming from very wealthy establishment individuals. >> you need to wade through a tea party some times. >> these are the folks paying for the tv ads. >> we don't do tv ads. so i don't know. >> ted cruz looks like a future star. let me go to michelle goldberg with this. we saw what happened when the country had a downgraded credit rating. because the republicans were intransijent. he couldn't get it done because he couldn't move his troops. they were not republicans. they were tea partiers. is this going to happen in the senate? >> you you're going to see mitch mcconnell crying.

>> i'd be interested in that. >> the race in texas, there was no subtantive -- >> but the word moderate is now like a four-letter word. >> too likely to work with mcdonnell. or somebody like todd akin who is taking on claire mccaskill. recently it's not as big as the debt ceiling. during that debate todd akin who might now end in the senate says that involvement in student loans has thrust america into the stage three cancer of socialism. this is not somebody who will work on federal education policy except to obstruct it at every

step. >> richard mourdock who could be the next senator replacing lugar. here's what he was saying about getting things done. >> bipartisanship ought to be democrats coming to republican view. to the idea that republicans and more specifically conservatives would be in the majority of the united states senate and the house and hopefully that we have a republican in the white house. if we do that bipartisanship means they have to come our way. to me the highlight of politics is to inflict my opinion on someone else. >> like you take over the tokyo, take berlin. that's what they called wars of annihilation. you force him to accept your will. let our guest here talk. you smile when you see that guy. you like the way he talks. >> i think that's awesome. i would love to see the senate come in with some new ideas.

i think the freshmen from the senate are the only guys that put budget ideas on the table. >> give me a positive idea from the tea party. >> a positive idea? the commission came up with a plan to deal with every program in the budget, balance the budget is less than five years. put the fence on the table. >> here are the top ten. tell me which one you would cut. defense spending would you cut it? >> yes. >> social security? >> i would reform social security. >> would you cut the amount of money that goes to it? >> not necessarily. >> you wouldn't cut spending regarding social security? >> i would reform the program. >> but would you cut the spending -- no, you say you're going to cut government spending. this is where it goes. would you cut spending that goes to social security benefits? >> let me -- >> see your problem? >> you have to reform them. >> with the purpose of reducing the spending. >> my purpose would be to make sure that individuals actually got real savings out of the

program. the current program asks young people to pay more and more, get less and less. that's a time bomb. it's not going to loss. >> let's stay on government spending. as a portion of the federal budget, is this one of the areas to cut spending? >> yes. you have to. >> fine. can you cut spending towards medicare? >> you have to change the system. >> you're talking about cutting government spending. i'm just -- >> i'm telling you what we proposed in our tea party budget. more and more of a system that charged people more, gives them less to a defined contribution where people have more control over their retirement decisions. that is the only way to get the liabilities under control. >> i'm just talking about how you cut the spending. would you cut medicaid? >> i think you have to move to a block system. >> how about federal retirement spending? >> you have to keep the promises we have and move to a different in the future. >> would you cut educational?

how about infrastructure and building highways and all that stuff? >> i think the system is politicized. i would move that decision back -- >> you're saying you would cut everywhere. you would find a way to cut everywhere. >> yeah. >> are you candidates saying what you've said here. you don't run for office. are they willing to go to the voters in november and say i'm cutting everywhere and in effect you. >> they're willing to say we have to balance the budget. 16 trillion in debt is unsustainable. i'm willing to put ideas on the table. you decide for yourself. >> romney's running to raise defense spending. >> right. >> he's not a tea partier then. >> right. but you have to balance the budget and make tough choices. >> i agree with that. thank you michelle. thanks for keeping track of these interesting people that seem to be growing in strength at the expense of john boehner who's in tears already and mitch mcconnell who i'm hoping to be in tears at some point generally

speaking. you come on. up next, let sleeping dogs lie. especially when that dog is the big dog, bill clinton. you know, elvis, bubba. he's got great names. and mitt romney's ad violates a big campaign roll. you don't mess with bill. this is "hardball," the place for politics. it's something you're born with. and inspires the things you choose to do. you do what you do... because it matters. at hp we don't just believe in the power of technology. we believe in the power of people when technology works for you. to dream. to create. to work. if you're going to do something.

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love that. dirty, angry money indeed. and the koch brothers group americans for prosperity group has spent $25 billion in the battle ground states. blames the president for the rising national debt. why not? >> three years -- >> government spending -- >> $15 trillion -- >> the unfunded debt -- >> $15 trillion -- >> i will be held accountable. if i don't have this done in three years, then it's a one-term proposition. >> the ads begin their run today and will last three weeks. we'll be right back. era laundry detergent is a black belt stain fighter.

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in 1996 president clinton an a bipartisan congress helped end welfare as we know it by requiring work for welfare. on the 12th president obama dropping work requirements. under obama's plan you wouldn't have to work or train for a job. they just send you your check. >> that was the infous mitt romney ad making headlines for its misleading portrayal of the obama administration's welfare policy. it caught the attention of one important viewer. none other than bill clinton himself. the former president released this statement last night knocking down the ad's accusations as not true. he said in part the administration has taken important steps to ensure that the work requirement is retained. the welfare time limit another important feature will not be waived. as governor of massachusetts, he

requested changes in the welfare reform laws that could have eliminated time limits altogether. just what was the romney campaign ad thinking waking up the big dog as we call him? eugene robinson is columnist for the washington post and analyst. and jonathan allen is for politico. gentlemen, i guess there's a strategy here in the tactic. bill clinton is not playing ball with these guys. i think clinton wants obama re-elected for a lot of reasons especially for the possibility his wife may become president some day. he sees no gain in a loss. >> absolutely nothing in it for bill clinton for barack obama to lose. therefore this is not going to drive a wedge between barack obama and bill clinton. clinton came out immediately denouncing the ad, explaining that it's all wrong. and i think this will fire him up. i mean, you don't want to wake up the big dog. you don't want to mess with bill. so i don't get it. i mean, i don't get it. >> this is what you want if you're bill clinton. dick nixon was nowhere in 1966,

johnson attacked him. called him a chronic campaigner. nixon goes on television with rnc money and says this is the most savage attack by any politician in the history of american politics. he gets all the pr and gets the nomination because johnson attacked him. here's bill clinton. you want to get attacked by the other side. >> bill clinton wants to get by the other side, but this was an attack on barack obama. i think there's some distance from bill clinton here. he has to go out and defend barack obama, particularly on this issue. he's got this huge speaking role at the convention. >> he signed the welfare bill. >> he signed the bill. this came out in new york when bill clinton was in las vegas. came out of his foundation. for most reporters, they had to get it from the obama campaign or somewhere else. if you look at the language, it wasn't about savageness. he said it's not true and i find it disappointing. that's tame. >> he wants to be the guy above it all, but he also wants to support. he doesn't want to be the attack dog, i agree. >> he's walking a fine line. >> what do you think his point

is? >> bill clinton's point in. >> yeah. >> his point is mitt romney is wrong about it. this is really complicated policy when you get down to. there aren't jobbed for people who go from welfare to work right now. not in nevada and not -- >> you're waiting in line, the welfare check, your relief check, we used to call it, and you say, where do you go for that? what subway ride do i take for that one? >> exactly. you have to demonstrate that you're looking for work, but you're not finding work. you're not going to find a job these days. >> 1996, you're talking about an unemployment rate 4%. it was a lot easier to find a job. and bill clinton wasn't in favor of welfare reform at first. he rejected the first couple efforts by the republican congress, came to the table, cut a deal, spoke softly about the deal, so not necessarily something democrats love in the first place. >> i think he looks healthy. people are talking about hiss health. he looks great. he tied his all-time

favorability rating. 66% of americans have a favorable rating of the president. that ties his all-time high when he went into office in '93. that's pretty good. it tells you monica and all that stuff, it's amazing how you outlive it, you do good like he's done, and it's now maybe in the tenth paragraph. >> people remember the 4% unemployment, the growing economy, and the -- >> why do they attack him, they're saying good things about the guy. >> because they're going after the reagan democrats, the folks who might have leaned democratic at one point, maybe reagan sort of sliced them off. and the idea is to get those people back. to give them permission not to vote for barack obama. >> he's talking about people of average means, white people mainly because minorities are really in love with obama. i understand that completely. they're going for working class

white people in and around philadelphia and the regular suburbs, same thing around pittsburgh, and they think, if they can say this guy is nothing like bill clinton, they can strip away some clinton voters. >> they're not attacking bill clinton at all. they say 66%. they know what hillary clinton is polling. they want to associate themselves with bill clinton. >> what happens if bill clinton stands up on the platform, what if he's in bucks county a week before the election standing next to obama, does that kill their plan? >> i don't know if kills their plan, but you know this. pennsylvania is not very much in play for the republicans this year as it has been the previous years. >> a ditsa thing they're doing with photo ids i'm worried. >> that's the only wild card. look, bill clinton, i think, is going to play a bigger role than he might have played if they hadn't done the ad. i think it brings him out. >> if bill clinton was going out and giving speeches for money, he wouldn't be the clinton he is today. he is spectacular.

>> nobody can argue -- >> rwanda, working on funding against aids. he's doing so much good, working in haiti, my wife is involved with that down there. >> and i think he's going to say, look, whatever you think about barack obama, this guy romney is not it. romney is definitely not it. >> i would like to see him give the keynote address in charlotte. that would be a barnburner. >> who did joe biden from the president's spot for bill clinton. >> he's the big dog, elvis, everything. thank you eugene robinson and jonathan allen. let me finish with the bind mitt romney finds himself in. he doesn't know who he's supposed to be. this is confusing. a revolting development for this guy with his spokesman saying he's really for health care. you're watching "hardball," place for politics. [ male announcer ] when she takes the starting block this summer,

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let me finish tonight with this. jack kennedy once said he felt sorry for his presidential rival dick nixon was nixon could never decide who he was. on every public occasion, he had to decide how to present himself, which nixon to be. should he be the high tone statesman or the rabid partisan. hehad to sweat the position before the colleague lights. now, fast forward to today. imagine how hard it is being mitt romney. let's see. which one am i supposed to be today? the tea party champion, the hater obama care, the crusader

tearing down everything obama built, starting with the terrible health care plan, based on -- uh-oh. based on my health care plan up in massachusetts. the problem here, but if it's hard being the candidate who at least gets the call the shots day to day, imagine trying to be a spokes person for this guy. how would andrea saul know how much trouble she would get into that the man who lost his wife to cancer after being fired in a bain capital operation would have gotten health care if he was living in massachusetts. did you hear that? that poor fellow's wife might be alive if the whole country had what mitt romney built up in massachusetts. presumably, the country would be better off if they took the lead from what he had done up in mass. how would she know it's not wrong to say what he did a year ago, that they should take massachusetts as a motto. ho